Many of the things we want come partly from minerals. But making minerals useful often causes environmental damage.

Mining and the Environment

Although mining provides people with many needed resources, the environmental costs can be high. Surface mining clears the landscape of trees and soil, and nearby streams and lakes are inundated with sediment. Pollutants from the mined rock, such as heavy metals, enter the sediment and water system. Acids flow from some mine sites, changing the composition of nearby waterways (
Figure
below
).

Acid drainage from a surface coal mine in Missouri.

U.S. law has changed in recent decades so that a mine region must be restored to its natural state, a process called
reclamation
. This is not true of older mines. Pits may be refilled or reshaped and vegetation planted. Pits may be allowed to fill with water and become lakes or may be turned into landfills. Underground mines may be sealed off or left open as homes for bats.

Summary

Surface mining clears the land, completely destroying the ecosystems that were found there.

Mining releases pollutants, which affect the immediate area and may travel downstream or downwind to cause problems elsewhere.

Reclamation occurs when people attempt to return the mined land to its original state.